26 June 2011 Ride: It was a...

...hot and humid morning.  The starting line of every good Southern Gothic novel.  And, it was humid.
I got off to a late start (7:30) and it was already 83 degrees plus all the moisture was rising.

This is actually sunset on my evening walk last night.

I was surprised how tired I felt this morning but I think it was more from bending over for 6 hours working on the canoes rather than any biking I've done.  I worked my way slowly toward "Shangri La," the stretch of road in Wyman valley that always captures my heart when I ride down there.  It was beginning to feel like one of those rides where there wouldn't be any photo opportunities but, as I crossed the bridge over the White River, the semi-official entry point for Shangri La, I got my first picture followed by many more in the valley.

 Vultures seemed a perfect symbol of the sluggish morning.  Though, by the time I was in the valley, the wind had picked up and the air was much drier.  Vultures and all, I was enjoying my time in the valley immensely. 

 I took several shots trying to capture a vulture in flight but none were worthy of posting.  However, I found the following shot of a completely failed attempt rather intriguing.  Something about the way the two simple lines of the wires run through the frame.


After taking my time in the valley and after taking many, many pictures (most of which ended up in the trash pile), I headed back out.  During the entire time, not a single car passed me in either direction.  At the outskirts of the valley, I passed a stubble sticking up from the road surface.  I circled back for a closer look.   The beauty of this remnant really astounded me; the juxtaposition of the wing to the rest of the completely smashed body; the wonderment that the fragile wing survived so intact and in the position that it was in.  I laid flat on the ground using the macro mode.  Because the wind was blowing, the wing fluttered back and forth as I tried to get a good shot.  In the macro mode, just a slight movement can cause the image to be out of focus.  So, to be sure, I took shot after shot wanting very much to get a good image.  Finally, I stood and just in time as a car was approaching from the valley.  I think that this may just turn out to be one of my favorite photographs. 

On Fox Hunter Rd, two recumbent bicyclists were approaching me from the opposite direction.  Turned out to be Ted, who I did the Texas/OK ride with and his daughter Leslie.  I detoured and rode with them a few miles before heading back home.

Today's Ride:  2hrs. 30mins.  28.25 miles.  83-90 degrees.  Miles YTD:  3,946.81